Dodgers Out-Thunk, Out-Pitched and Out-Scored 8-4

Things in the NLCS were shaping up for the Dodgers, who had taken a two games to one series lead over the Cubs. The boys in blue seemed to have momentum on their side, and then they ran into a Chicago buzz saw. They were crushed in Game 4, the Cubs tied the series, and everything was different again.

In Game 5, the Dodgers sent Jeckle and Hyde starter, Kenta Maeda to the mound, while the Cubs used southpaw Jon Lester. This meant manager Dave Roberts trotted out another of his subpar, ridiculous righty lineups.

1st inning
Maeda started out shaky, walking a runner and giving up a couple of hits to surrender the first run.
After that, he settled in and got the job done.Dodgers
They threatened to score as well, with a couple of baserunners, but couldn’t get anyone home.

2 inning Cubs 1-0
Another walk, but nobody scored. 45 pitches after two.Dodgers
After a very low strike three call, Adrian Gonzalez slowly walked closely behind the HP umpire, jawing and grumbling about the strike zone. That was the only interesting thing from the Dodgers’ ups.

3rd inning Cubs 1-0
Maeda masterful. An easy two strike out inning.DodgersJustin Turner got a two out, seeing eye base hit.
With Corey Seager up, he stole second. But the veteran Lester struck out the rookie on a cutter in the dirt.

4th inning Cubs 1-0
Maeda gave up a lead off double that just missed going over the short wall in the left field corner.
He then hit Jason Heyward in the wallet. Two on, nobody out.
Maeda struck out Russell for the first out. F8 for the second out. And with that, Maeda was done.Josh Fields in. F7, job done.Dodgers
After a weak fly out by Carlos Ruiz, Howie Kendrick shot a screamer down the third base line for a double.
Up stepped Adrian Gonzalez. Then Kendrick ran! The call on the field was out, but the Dodgers immediately went to replay. SAFE!
Gonzalez hit a little nubber that Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo took and then dropped. Kendrick came home to tie the game. 1-1

5th inning Tie 1-1Grant Dayton in. Two Ks and a streaking line drive headed for the gap in right-center field, that Yasiel Puig ran down and caught.

6th inning Tie 1-1Joe Blanton in.
Gives up immediate base hit. Then gives up stolen base.
K on a bad pitch for the first out.
Then he gave up a dead CF blast for a 2-run HR. 3-1Dodgers
Corey Seager shot a one out single past Rizzo. They left him there.

8th inning Cubs 3-1Pedro Baez in.
A quick error and hit became two on and no out.
Then the inning just disintegrated into death by a thousand cuts. Little hits and bigger mistakes led to a 5-1 Cubs lead.
After 2 hours and 2 out, Roberts had finally seen enough and pulled Baez.Ross Stripling in. He gave up a bases loaded double to clear the bases. 8-1.Dodgers
Andrew Toles (finally) got in the game and blasted a lead off double.
JT took a ball in the upper left arm to give the boys two on and nobody out.
A double play put Toles on third, and Ruiz drove him in. 8-2 Yay?

9th inning Cubs 8-2
A walk and a single put Gonzalez and Puig on third and first, respectively.
Ol’ Smoke and Mirrors came in to hit a gapper to score Gonzo. 8-3
Toles sac flied Joc Pederson in. 8-4
That was it.

Dodgers lose 8-3

Cubs manager Joe Madden kept his .333 hitter (Baez) in the lineup and he only got hotter.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts took his .333 hitter, Andrew Toles, out of the lineup. And he inserted an anemic .190 hitter at leadoff, and put a guy batting 0 for 14 against Lester in the leadoff spot.
Which moves would you think paid off?

Welcome back home: Vin Scully returned to Dodger Stadium for the first time since his retirement. Eric Karros and Steve Garvey introduced him, and then Scully rallied the crowd with his classic “It’s time for Dodgers baseball!” mantra.

It’s going to take more than butter and eggs: Adrian Gonzalez was once again instrumental in the Dodgers’ offense. He brought home Kendrick with their first run of the night.

A record breaking night: Justin Turner has now reached base in 15 consecutive postseason games, an LA Dodgers record. Carl Furillo‘s previous record stood for 60 years.

A back breaking night: Including a grand slam in game one, Joe Blanton has given up three home runs in the NLCS.

Kenta Maeda went 3 2/3 with 3 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 6 Ks.

Dodgers with RISP: 2 for 10 As Scott would say: PATHETIC!

Cubs lead the best of seven series 3 games to 2. Back to Chicago! See you on Saturday night.

I was born in the shadow of Dodger Stadium and immediately drenched in Dodger Blue. Chavez Ravine is my baseball cathedral, Vin Scully was the golden voice of summer all my life, and Tommy Lasorda remains the greatest Dodgers manager ever. My favorite things are coffee, beer, and the Dodgers beating the Giants. I also blog about my baseball card hobby at All Trade Bait, All the Time.

59 thoughts on “Dodgers Out-Thunk, Out-Pitched and Out-Scored 8-4”

Another disaster. The best bullpen in baseball has now given up 21 runs in three games. If Maeda wasn’t good enough to face Lester with two outs and two on, why was he starting the game?

Someone said Kershaw and Hill would have to win two games apiece for the Dodgers to win the pennant. They’ll have their work cut out for them with the confidence the Cubs have been given in the last two games.

“The only thing we have is Kenley and Kershaw” We also have Seager, Turner and Gonzalez. Puig has contributed, though it would be nice to see him flex some fast twitch more often.

I’m thinking we have a have a 46% chance at seeing a game 7. I’m also thinking I’m seeing the Cubs with an 81% chance to move on. And those aren’t my calls. I’m viewing those numbers through reading what the numbers guys are saying. You see, the game is all about the numbers now.

It’s quite easy to look for people to blame. Tired bullpen, Kike over Barnes.

Barnes over Kike? Come on!

Let’s look, as per Badger’s lead, at some simple numbers.

The CUBS are really good. They’re the best team in the majors. Blanton misses a pitch to a pinch hitter on the Nats or the Giants and 7/10 times nothing negative happens. With a good team that goes down.

Every once in a while, the best team will win in Baseball. This could be that year.

Here’s the reason to be sunny. It’s a very well constructed team, with widely admired front office, robust farm team, bundles of money to spend and a strong core.

This best pen in all of baseball business things just bugs me. Mark has brought it up a lot toward the end of the season.

But the eye test is what I follow. Some of these Dodger relievers just do not know where the ball is going. Andrew Miller they are not. But many are just GM cheap pickup guys who they hope will make the team.

If Jansen is not signed over the winter — what will the GM do? Clayton will be watching and if he does not like the decision, that will push him to move on I believe. He will want his future games protected.

But for the business at hand — I believe the Dodgers can will the next two games and march on to the World Series. But Roberts will have to start the right guys in the lineup. Like who is in the outfield. Key: Puig is just overmatched these days — little ground balls, popups, fly balls . . . oh, if only Puig would have two good days.

I agree with your assessment on the bullpen. No names there other than Jansen. I think there are some good arms there, but no, there are no Miller’s there. They are affordable risks, and it could be they are just out of gas. Been a long year for them.

I think Jansen has the chance to earn himself a lot of money this weekend. He might throw another 50 pitches on Saturday, and come out again in Sunday. This is where we are. With the season on the line, who else in that bullpen do you put out there vs that Cub lineup?

Sounds accurate to me, mirrors what some of us have been saying. Best statement in the article:

“No franchise has spent more in pursuit of a championship than the Dodgers — not even the Yankees — and so far the only one they won was for the 2013 Red Sox.

In attempt to honor that win-now credo, the Dodgers obtained Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez in August 2012. That removed the majority of their long-term commitments from the Red Sox, who reacted by spreading their money around to create a more diversified/deeper roster then won it all the following season”.

What has happened is that two guys, one who has been solid all year and the other who has been outstanding all year have imploded. Stripling (the long-man) has a 13.50 ERA and and Joe Blanton, the set-up man has a 21.00 ERA. The Dodgers would have never gotten here without Blanton, who had an amazing year as one of the best set-up men in baseball. He was 7-2 with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. The league hit .194 against him this year. How can I be mad at him? He’s not happy – that I know, but what can you do?

This year, the bullpen has been the best on all of baseball. So, you are going to use the “eye test”? That is fine. Just use it over the last 172 games, not the last 5 to be fair! The “eye test” tells me they were the best all year, but not the last 5. Many want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. I don’t subscribe to that activity. To get this far takes an incredible team effort, depth and talent.

“Cheap pickup guys?” Do you really want to go there? Do you really think “expensive pickup guys” are the way to go? Experience says NO!

It’s not over. In the next two games we have the #1 and #2 starting pitchers with the lowest ERA’s in baseball (counting starters with more than 110 innings pitched). Kershaw is #1 in WHIP and Hill is #4. In batting average against, Kershaw is #1 and Hill is #3. Both pitchers had outstanding outings in their last starts and they both will be on FULL REST. Oh, and Kershaw gave up 8 HR, while gave up 4 – ALL SEASON!

This is why FAZ gave up three nice prospects for Filthy Rich- just for an occasion like this. You never know how many of these opportunities you get and the Dodgers are right where they need to be-their two best pitchers are starting. Correction: The two best starting pitchers in baseball, this year are starting. Let the games begin.

Why is everyone ragging on Kike but giving Chase a pass? Chase has a .233 OB% in the playoffs. Kike has a .300 OB% in the playoffs, but it is time to put Toles in the leadoff spot! In OB%, Ethier is at .400, but can’t play the field. Toles is at .435, Turner is at .488, Pederson is at .352, Puig and Redick are at .333. Even Grandal is at .303.

The guys who are hurting us the most are Kendrick, Seager, A-Gon and Utley. I’ll give the 22 year-old a pass, but A-Gon, Utley and Kendrick need to step up, but many of you rag on Kike, Yasmani and Reddick, because… well, of course you do. It’s on the vets and Corey! Everyone needs to man up.

Mark, when are you going to start your blog you mentioned a few weeks ago. I’m ready to talk about the team I want next year and would rather do that on your blog.

I think Seager and Pederson would create sparks if rubbed together so I would bat them next to each other.

Agon needs to bat 6th. He is clogging the bases and could best score on a Grandal home run, that goes for Grandal as well 🙂 Agon has been thrown out at home twice and stayed at third last night on Joc’s ground ball toward short. The rule is always to run home in a double play situation. Outs are precious in the 9th inning and an out at the plate is better than two outs at second to first.

Geeze MJ, No one is going to pull an up and out strike that is coming in at 101 mph. And I will add that no one is going to hit a ball to the opposite field that is high and inside or breaking toward their knees.

The two best starters in baseball? Hendricks and Kershaw? Should be a good game.

Let’s not use the eye test. After all, you gonna believe what you see or what you are told?

Frankly I’m happy to be where we are. With the starting rotation that was cobbled together, and the bunch of no-names and guys past their prime players brought in by wheel chair I think to still be in this thing is a remarkable achievement.

Yeah Mark, where’s the new blog? And the mountainmover book? And the movie? Will the morons and sh*t eaters be welcomed?

Oscar I find your praise of Gonzalez interesting. I see him as slower and slower and slower: on the base paths, at the plate, even with the glove. Maybe it’s just my bias. But when I see the Cubs 1B beat out a ground ball to 3B, I just wince. Hopefully it’s just a slump and he begins to drive the ball.

To answer your Q, Artieboy:
Game 1: Dodgers down 3-1, 8th inning, 2 out and bases loaded. Agone comes up with HUGE double to tie the game. We lost, but he didn’t load the bases for the Cubs or throw that grand slam pitch.
Power wasn’t needed there, a smart base hit was. That’s what Gonzalez delivered.
During and after the game, took leadership roles – intangibles.
Game 2: Hit home run, the only run the Dodgers scored. They won. Credit Kershaw? Sure, but equal credit to the only run produced. Power needed – delivered.
Game 3 – Agon thrown out at home by a mile. True, but he was following incredibly stupid advice from the third base coach. That grounder was retrieved in short LF and NOBODY should have been sent home. Carl Crawford could have thrown out Dee Gordon on that play.
Game 4: Want speed? Agone bolts for home and is called out by ump and NY replay officials. The replay clearly shows he was safe and the Dodgers were cheated out of the first run of the game.
Game 5: Agone steps up again and drives in the first RBI of the game. Later Gonzo scored himself. He was behind 2 of the 4 runs we scored.
If that isn’t worth noting and praise, I just don’t know what is.

The biggest problem I had with the game last night was our unwillingness to run on Lester. Kike said something about not wanting to give Lester a break by getting thrown out as his reason for not running in the 1st inning. To me not running gave Lester a break. If a leftfielder has a weak arm ( ala Kendrick) you take advantage of it. I don’t know if it was the coaching staff or the players that decided not to run but IMO it as a big mistake. As a whole Blanton has had a good season but he has been terrible in the LCS. If/when Jansen leaves is there anyone on the roster that you can look at and say he can be our closer. I don’t know if I can but I will say that Fields could be interesting in that role.

MJ that play has been available to both Joc and AGon all year. (See Rizzo bunt for how to bat 1.000 against the shift). Neither of our guys took the time to learn how to do it. Apparently the analytics used did not add up to “winning by bunt”.

In 1957, the first game I ever saw in person, I watched Mickey Mantle drag a bunt up the first base line and he was so fast getting to first there was no play on him. I was 9. I wanted to learn how to do that – so I did. He did something similar, but went the other way against Drysdale in an All Star game in ’59. Drysdale fell off the mound toward first base and Mickey bunted it to the shortstop Ernie Banks who swallowed the ball. I watched what Rizzo did last night and laughed my ass off. Why that isn’t done more often is the question. If they give you the base, you are an idiot if you don’t take it.

It’s not quite ‘an easy fix’ but it is something of which practicing it would definitely improve one’s performance. But so does free throw shooting. And how is that working out for the notorious bad free throw shooters.

Bunting a major league pitch takes some skill. No person off the street will get in the box and get even 3 of 10 strikes bunted in fair territory, little lone placed where they want it.

Pitch recognition and location. Keeping the bat still actually catching the ball with the bat. Making contact with the top part of the baseball (hence why they are taught to start with the bat at the highest point in the strike zone) while holding the bat at the proper angle to position the ball where it’s not going right back to the pitcher all must take place for a successful bunt.

While my emotions were at a much higher level during and shortly after the game, I’ve now calmed down a bit and can see we have a pretty fair chance obtaining the NL pennant. Nothing will be a given in either games, but it’s not an unreasonable bet for our #’s 1 & 2 to be on their ‘A’ game. Of course some offensive batting from our boys wouldn’t suck. But won’t it really be something if the Dodgers do indeed pull it off? It’s not supposed to be easy! Shuffle up and deal and may the best team win………scratch that last part.

we get Maeda for 7 more yrs…what a mistake..,,they moved agon for the 4th spot to the 6 th spot..he knots in runs ..but in the 6th spot it put him on the base,s in front of the others..kershaw can pitch good …but if you dont get him runs ..we can still loose. and yes toles should be in the line up with left or righties sorry can spell any more..bais sucks and hope we dont have him next yr..

We were totally outplayed last night. Start with terrible pitching all night. Behind in counts to just about everyone. Not many pitches hit the catcher’s target. Can’t believe how these guys can get people out without hitting the target. They depend on the batter hitting pitches out of the zone. There were plenty of those. Whatever the past success, without strike 1, the odds are bad for the pitcher. On the offense, Lester didn’t seem to have much trouble with the lineup. I agree that Toles should play everyday. Not Puig. Basically, though, last night’s game and the one before were games of stress brought on by bad pitching from top to bottom. At least we have a rested Jansen. It’s all gravy. The giants suck.

There was a point said on the broadcast last night that I think has merit. Comparing a team with 4 solid SP’s to a team such as ours that relies on the BP to eat the majority of innings. We need our relievers to come into high leverage situations and automatically have their best stuff… No time to find it and lock in like a starter. Obviously no one will have their best 100% of the time and because of the situations they are brought into their mistakes = Runs. With the exception of Kenley none of our relievers have had their best stuff. Every single big hit came off of a mistake pitch…

We are in a position to win this thing with CK and Hill but I can’t help but think back to last year and say the exact same thing about last night…. ” If only we had a bulldog #3 that could go 7″……

I hate the move of having Kike in any postseason game against any pitcher in any situation. Chase needs to be in the lineup… He has the most playoff experience, he’s a leader and he’s had CLUTCH hits. I know math says I am wrong but… How did that math work last night?? It was Game 5 of the NLCS and Kike Hernandez was batting leadoff…. It’s really hard to say out loud much less watch… Sorry.